August 28, 2018
The Trump Administration’s Objectives in Syria
US National Security Advisor John Bolton during a press conference in Jerusalem where he spoke on Syria. As if reminding the world that the United States is still relevant in the current phase of the...
Learn more »August 24, 2018
US Defense Budget Prioritizes Securing Israel over Deterring Iran
President Trump during a visit to Fort Drum where he signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year [FY] 2019. On August 13, President Donald Trump signed the “John S. McCain National Defense Authorization...
Learn more »August 23, 2018
Complications of the Houthis’ Role in the Red Sea
Photo of an Iranian anti-ship missile, the type believed to have been used by the Houthis to threaten shipping in the Red Sea. [perfectpullquote align="full" bordertop="false" color="#b6b666"]Saudi planners and their allies made a strategic error...
Learn more »August 21, 2018
The Exclusionary Turn in GCC Politics
The sudden rupture in diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Canada has thrown a spotlight on the regional political dynamics that have placed unprecedented and potentially irreversible strains on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Over...
Learn more »August 17, 2018
Shifting the Balance of Power from Ramallah to Gaza
Photo of Gaza City The Middle East has been abuzz over the past two weeks with anticipation and excitement over the indirect talks held in Cairo between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel. The...
Learn more »August 16, 2018
Why Are Israel and Hamas Negotiating a Cease-fire Now?
A delegation of Hamas leaders visiting Cairo to negotiate a cease-fire with Israel There have been recent reports of continuing negotiations between Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip and Israel through third-party mediators, including the...
Learn more »August 15, 2018
Israel Returns to Basics in Syria: “Better the devil you know”
Photo of Israeli troops patrolling the Golan Heights After nearly seven years of unrest in Syria, Israel’s policy toward its next-door neighbor is coming full circle and the repeated idiom of “better the devil you...
Learn more »August 15, 2018
The Ticking Time Bomb of Northern Syria
Emboldened with the advances on Syria’s southern front, the Assad regime has begun launching attacks and thus signaling a major offensive on Idlib, the last stronghold of opposition groups in northwestern Syria with an estimated...
Learn more »